Threadless detachable button for garments



INVENTOR.

Oct. 3, 1939. G. w. LANCASTER .A TTORNEY vul Filed July 5, 1958 ll/l i 'lll/011111111111111.wv/

Ill

THREADLESS DETACHABLE BUTTON FOR GARMENTS l/llll/M Patented Qct. 3, 1939 iETEhiT OFFECE THREADLESS DETACHABLE BUTTON FOR GAR/MENTS 6 Claims.

My invention relates to mechanically-adjustable and detachable buttons for heavy or lightweight garments. And some of the objects of my invention are: rst, to devise .a threadless button having a head-part adapted to be placed on the outside of the cloth of a garment, and a shankpart therefor adapted to be placed on the inside of the cloth of a garment; second, to provide, in the construction of the button, economical means for preventing the head-cap of the button from rotating on the head-plate thereof; third, to fasten an internally-threaded socket securely in the head-plate of the button, so the head-plate cannot rotate thereon; fourth, to develop a combination button-shank having ,a sharpened, threaded stem and coacting parts, adapted to be pushed through the cloth of a garment and to be screwed into the threaded socket of the head-part and completely attached to the garment for service, so that the head-part oi the button cannot be rotated. Other objects of my invention will appear in the process of this specification.

The foregoing objects have been attained in my present invention; and my new and useful threadless detachable button for garments illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this speciiication, is a practical device embodying the aforesaid novel means and other new and useful details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts, all of which, together with their functions, will be described in detail with reference to said drawing, and will be denitely pointed out in the claims that follow this description, so that any person skilled in the art may be able to construct and use this .invention.

In said drawing, Fig. i is a longitudinal section cut through the axis of the first form of my new threadless button in a detached condition, showing the relative position oi the various parts.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section made through the aXis o the second form of my new detachable button, showing the relative position oi the various parts, assembled and set for service in the cloth of the garment.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the under side of the head-plate of the button, showing the narrow brim oi the head-cap swaged under the edge of the head-plate and pitted thereinto, to prevent rotation thereon.

Fig. Il is .a plan view or" the under side of the socket-plate of the button, showing a plurality of rectangular notches cut in the edge thereof.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the bottom of the shank-plate, showing a roughened or pebbly sur- (Cl. 2li-105) face to develop operative friction on any other surface touching against it.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the upper-side of the shank-washer, showing two opposite, sharp spurs turned up at the edges thereof, and a slight burr, also, turned up around the edge of the central perforation therethrough.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the upper-side of the cap of the shank-plate of my threadless button, showing the narrow brim thereof swaged up loosely and rotatable over the edge of the shankplate.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section through the axis of the third form of my threadless button in a detached condition, showing the relative position of the parts involved.

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section made through the axis of the third form of my detachable button, showing the relative position of the parts assembled and set for service in the cloth of the garment.

Fig. l0 is a plan view of the under side of the pocket-plate of the third form o my threadless, detachable button, showing a plurality of sharp spurs thereon extending downward from the plate.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the upper-side of the shank-plate of the third form of my threadless, detachable button., showing the annular groove around the plate between the threaded stem and the periphery of the plate.

This invention has been designed and practically developed in its details of fabrication, for the purpose of producing, rat a minor cost, a threadless, detachable button for garments, adapted to be affixed in its service position on the garment, by manual manipulation without the help of tools. Moreover, in the development oi this button, I have given special attention to the art and the means of .afxing this button upon a garment in such a manner that the obverse part of the button, as the head-plate and the head-cap, cannot be rotated on the garment after the button is afxed thereon in its service position; consequently, any figures or characteristic insignia placed upon the head-plate or headcap of the button will always remain right sideup, if so set upon the garment. And with said purpose and the special objects above-mentioned in view, I will describe my invention in detail, pointing out the new .and useful features of the construction and the assembling of the individual parts and the combination thereof, as illustrated in the drawings hereinabove described, in which similar letters and characters refer to similar parts throughout tse several views.

In the invention and development of my new threadless detachable button for garments, I have thoroughly tested out every detail and variation of the parts invalved in the complete button, and found in their normal functions complete success. And in the design and construction of my new threadless detachable button, I have provided in the obverse part thereof, a slightly convex head-cap i fully covering the head-plate 2 and having the narrow brim thereof closely swaged under the head-plate and fixed thereto with the pits, l', I', preventing the rotation of the cap I on the plate 2. Also, I have designed an internally-threaded socket 3 having a long reduced peak on the upper end thereof adapted to pass up through the central perforation 2 in the head-plate 2 to be securely riveted thereto in a broad head 3', so that the head-plate cannot be rotated on the socket 3, shown in Figs. 1, 8 and 9. Socket 3 has, also, on the lower end thereof a flat, circular socket-plate 3a. provided with a plurality of rectangular notches, 3b, 3b, cut in the edge thereof, shown in Figs. l, 2 and Li. For the base part of the button, which appears on the inside of the garment, when affixed thereon, I have provided a flat, circular shank-plate 5 and its round threaded stem 5a integral therewith and' centrally arranged thereon. The shank-plate 5 is provided with a roughened or pebbly surface 5 over the bottom thereof, as shown in Figs. l and 5, to generate operative friction with any surface pressed hard against it. And the stem 5a is provided with a sharp peak at the top thereof adaptedk on ample pressure, to penetrate the cloth 43 of a garment, While the threads on the stem 5a, are adapted to mesh with the internal threads of the socket 3, as shown in Fig. 2.

Over the shank-plate 5 I have loosely swaged the shank-cap 1*, so that the cap is freely rotatable over the plate, under a slight pressure of the lingers; but under a forceful pressure accompanied by a rotary movement, the shank-cap l impinges upon the rough pebbly surface 5 on the bottom of the shank-plate 5, generating operative friction enough to rotate the plate 5 and its integral threadedstem 5a to screw the stem rmly into the threaded socket 3 in affixing the button tothe cloth 4 of a garment.

To lock the socket-plate 3a, to prevent its rotation on the cloth 4 of a garment when affixed thereon, I have devised the flat, circular washer 6 having two opposite, sharpV spurs, 6a, 6d, turned up at the edge thereof and a central perforation therethrough, around which a slight burr 6b has been turned up. This washer 6 is adapted to iit over the stem. 5a and rest upon the upper surface of the shank-plate 5. In this position, the burr around the central perforation in the washer 6, may be swaged inwardly below the threads of the stem 5a to hold the washer 5 in its service position on the stem 5a. The sharp spurs 6a, 6a, on the edges of the washer 6 are adapted to pierce the cloth` i of a garment on which the button is to be affixed upon the ampliiication of sufficient manual pressure; in which operation the sharp end of. the shank-stem penetrates the cloth 4 first, closely followed by the two sharp spurs, 6a, 6a, on the opposite sides of the stem 5a. The cloth 4 of the garment has been pierced now in three separate places, comparatively far apart, without being cut or torn, for the threads of the warp and woof of the cloth are merely pushed aside, as the sharp points pierce the garment from the inside to the outside thereof. side of the garment, we place upon them the head-part of the button, directing the peak of the threaded stem 5a into the threaded socket 3, and with forceful pressure upon the shank-cap l, as it impinges against the rough, pebbly surface 5 of the shank-plate 5, we generate operative friction enough to rotate the shank-plate 5 and its stem 5a, as the cap 1 is rotated. Thus we begin screwing the threaded .stem 5a into the threaded socket 3, allowing the sharp spurs, 6a, tot, to enter any two opposite notches, 3b, 3h, in

ie socket-plate 3m, after which the head-part of the button cannot rotate while we hold it in place on the garment. In this way, by holding the head-part of the button tightly in one hand and screwing the shank-part with the other hand, we can quickly set the two parts of the button together, with the cloth l of the garment firmly pressed between them. The head-part of the button can not longer rotate, being locked by the two spurs, 6a, 6a, of the washer 6; and the washer 6 can no longer rotate on the stem 5a, being securely held by the cloth 4 of the garment which is pierced in two separate places comparatively far apart, as shown in Fig. 2.

Therefore, my threadless detachable button for garments is now affixed to the garment in its service position, shown in Figs. 2 and 9; and if there are letters, figures or insignia on the headcap l of the button and we have set them rightside-up, they will so remain fixed; for the sections of the head-part of the button cannot rotate on the cloth 4, as I have hereinabove explained. But the shank-cap If which is loosely swaged over the edge of the shank-plate 5, can be easily rotated under light pressure Without rotating the shank 5.

Now, to detach this threadless button from the garment, we grasp the head-part of the button with one hand and the shank-part thereof with the other hand; and, pressing the shank-cap 1 firmly against the rough surface 5 of the shankplate 5, to produce operative friction sufficient to rotate the shank-plate and its threaded stem 5a, we unscrew the stem 5d from the socket 3, and lift the head-part away from the outside of the garment; then the shank-part with its stem 5a and its spurs, 5a, 6a, can be easily pulled from the cloth 4 for removal from the inside of the garment.

In Figs. l and 2, the threaded stem 5a is shown in elevation. And in Fig. 2 there is a slight variation in the head-plate 2m and the internal rivet-head to illustrate the assemblage of my threadless detachable button for garments, when it is desirable to use a head-plate made of shell or plastic material, which can be swaged or moulded around the rivet-head 3*.r of the socketpeak.

In Figs. 8 and 9 the threaded stein 5:1, is shown in elevation. And when an operator prefers to assemble and affix this threadless button to a garment by pushing the sharp spurs inwardly from the outside of the garment, I omit the washer 6 and also the rectangular notches, 3b, 3b, in the edge of the socket-plate 3a and provide a plurality of sharp spurs, 3a', 3a', on the under" As the three points appear on the outshank-plate 5, in a position to receive the spurs, as they penetrate the cloth 4 of the garment, as shown in Figs. 9 and 11.

Now, in assembling and afxing this third form of my threadless detachable button to a garment, as in the first form, we push the sharp peak of the stem 5a through the cloth 4 from the inside to the outside of the garment; and upon this stem 5a, we place the head-part of the button, directing the stem into the threaded socket 3, and with forceful pressure upon the shank-cap 1, as it settles against the rough surface 5 of the shank-plate 5, we generate operative friction y. enough to rotate the shank-plate 5 and its stem 5a, as the cap 1 is rotated. Thus we begin screwing the threaded stem 5a into the threaded socket 3, allowing the sharp spurs, 3a', 3a', to enter the annular groove 5m in the upper surface of the shank-plate 5, after which the head-part of the button cannot rotate on the outer surface of the garment. In this way, by holding the head-part of the button tightly in one hand and screwing the shank-part thereof with the other hand, we can quickly set the socket-plate 3 and the shank-plate 5 practically together, with the cloth 4 of the garment firmly pressed between them. The button is now securely aflixed to the garment in its service position. And the headpart of the button cannot rotate on the garment, being securely held in its position by the spurs, 3a', 3a.', and the cloth 4 of the garment pierced in a plurality of separate places comparatively far apart, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10; and if there are letters, figures or insignia on the head-plate 2x or the head-cap i and we have set them rightside-up, they will so remain fixed in that position; for the sections of the head-part of the button cannot rotate, as I have hereinbefore explained. But the shank-cap 1, which is loosely swaged over the edge of the shank-plate 5, can be easily rotated under light pressure without rotating the shank 5. This form of my threadless button can be easily detached from the garment by the same process as used in detaching the first and second form, previously explained.

In closing, I think I should add that in this description of my new threadless detachable button for garments, it should be well understood that the specific detail of the various parts of the instant embodiment of my present invention, as I have illustrated in the drawing thereof and fully described, are not to be considered as limitations in the construction of my threadless detachable button for garments; and that while keeping within the scope of my invention and claims, I may make desirable modifications in these details to facilitate quantity-production or to economise in the fabrication of parts thereof, provided I keep within the spirit of my invention.

Now, having thus described the various features and possibilities of my invention, the detail construction, arrangement and combination of parts as well as their functions and ways and means of operation and application; those features and accessories of my new threadless detachable button for garments, on which I desire Letters Patent granted to me, I have set fort and specifically described in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a threadless detachable button for garments, of the character described, an internallythreaded socket having a reduced portion and a rivet-head at the upper end thereof and an integral socket-plate at the lower end; a head-plate adapted to be moulded or swaged rigidly about said reduced part and rivet-head; a plurality of rectangular notches cut through the edges of the socket-plate; in combination with a shankplate having on its upper side a threaded stem with a sharp peak designed to be pushed easily through the cloth of a garment to enter the threaded socket inafxing the button thereon; a washer adapted to fit on over the stem and to be rotatable thereon; a sharp spur turned up at the diametrically-opposite edges of the washer and adapted to be pushed through the cloth of a garment and into the rectangular notches of the socket-plate to prevent the socket-plate from rotating on the cloth of the garment; a rough pebbly surface on the lower side of the shank-plate; a shank-cap loosely swaged on over the edges of the shank-plate to rotate the plate and thus forcefully against the rough pebbly surface of the shank-plate to rotate the plate and thus screw the stem into the socket to affix the button to the garment, and also to unscrew the stem from the socket to remove the button from the garment, as set forth.

2. A threadless detachable button for garments, of the character described, comprising a headcap fastened to a head-plate so that they cannot rotate on each other; an internally-threaded socket securely fastened to said head-plate in such a manner that neither can rotate without the other; an integral socket-plate on the inner end of the socket, provided with plurality of rectangular notches cut through the edge thereof; in operative combination with a shank-plate having a threaded stem fixed on the upper side thereof and a fiat, roughened surface on the lower side; a rotatable shank-cap over the roughened surface, swaged loosely over the edge. of the plate and adapted, when forcibly pressed against the rough surface of the plate to force the rotation thereof; a circular washer adapted to fit on over the stem and to be rotatable thereon; sharp spurs turning up at the diametrically-opposite edges of said washer and adapted to be pushed through the cloth of a garment and into the rectangular notches of the socket-plate to prevent the socketplate from rotating on the cloth of the garment, when the socket-plate and the shank-plate are fastened together in aiixing the button in its service position on the garment, with the cloth thereof firmly pressed between them, as described.

3. A garment button comprising a head member adapted to be positioned on the outer surface of a garment, a base member adapted to be positioned on the inner surface of said garment, a

threaded stem adapted to penetrate the. material c.

of said garment, one end of said stem being adapted to be threadedly connected to one of said members, the other end of said stem being connected to said other member for free rotation relative thereto in clockwise and counterclockwise directions, said last named member and last named end of said stem having normally spaced and opposed surfaces, and said last named member being movable to bring said surface thereof into engagement with said opposed surface of said stem to cause said stem to rotate as said last named member is rotated in clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

4. A garment button, comprising a head member adapted to be positioned on the outer surface of a garment, a base member adapted to be positioned on the inner surface of said garment, a threaded stem adapted to penetrate the material of said garment, one end of said stem being adapted to be threadedly conected to one of said -1- members, the other end of said stem being connected to said other member for free rotation relative thereto in clockwise and counterclockwise directions, said last named member and last named end of said stem having normally spaced and opposed surfaces, and said last named member being movable upon simultaneous pressing of both of said members towards each other to move said opposed surface of said last named melnber into engagement with said opposed surface of said stem to cause said stem to rotate as said last named member is rotated in clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

5. A garment button comprising a head member adapted to be positioned on the outside of a garment, a base member adapted to be positioned on the inside of said garment, a threaded stem carried by one of said members and adapted t'o extend through said garment and. threadedly connect with said other member, a head on said stem, a friction surface on said head, said stern carrying member comprising a normally freely rotatable surface portion normally preventing rotation of said stem in clockwise and counterclock- Wise directions,an d said freely rotatable surface being movable to engage said friction surface to rotate said stem and freely rotatable surface portions together in clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

6. The structure of claim 5, and said stem being carried by said base member.

GEORGvrE W. LANCASTER. 

